A Tree By Its Fruits
You can always identify a tree by its fruit.
In the same way, you can always identify your intentions by your experiences.
– The Heart of the Soul by Gary Zukav and Linda Francis –
Have you ever rowed a boat? If you have you know that how you place the paddle in the water and the force you use determines the direction your boat will go. The same goes for throwing a baseball, bowling ball, driving a car and just about everything else we do in life. You are fully in control of where the boat, ball or car goes. The same is true for every aspect of your life. There is no part of your life that is outside of your control.
If you want to take control of your life, make it better, take it to the next level then you must be ready to get uncomfortable and make a change. You must get intentional about that change. Success in whatever form does not come without being intentional. We can talk about the big ones. Olympic Athletes are intentional with what they do from food and sleep to training. But lets talk about the ones most people can relate to. Lets take learning to ride a bike. Most people learned to ride a bike as a young child. The process in the beginning was scary, overwhelming and wobbly. There may have been a fall or two and maybe the bike sat in the garage for a day or a week between falls. But each time you approached the bike with the intention of riding. You had the vision in your head of riding the bike. You could feel the wind in your face, the wheels moving under you and the freedom it brought. That intention (and perhaps support from a parent) kept you going back until you were able to master balancing on two wheels.
As we get older and take on new ventures in life it is often like riding a bike. We are scared, the start is wobbly, we fall, we get back up, we shelf it a few days and we rely upon the support of family and friends to cheer us on. But unless we have intention in our goals and where we want to go we won’t succeed. And, much like if we just stick the bike in the garage and bury it under boxes our goals will be forgotten just like that bike.
The other thing I am finding out about intentions is that experiences reflect our unspoken intentions. So if nothing is happening it is because you are not being intentional in your thoughts. If you take the oar out of the water your boat will stop moving and if you drag your oar in the water it will hinder your progress. Just as positive intentions will create positive results negative intentions will create negative results.
So, how do you begin getting results? You change your intentions and the energy you place on them. Here is a list of where to start.
- Start each day with one intention for the day
- Have a defined intention (Say hello to three people vs Be more outgoing)
- Acknowledge the intention (Say out loud or write in a journal I will say hello to three people today)
- Limit the noise/distractions around you a little each day (Facebook, TV, Email, Texts, etc.) – The noise keeps us from accomplishing our intentions
- Say no to too many projects by evaluating whether they help or hurt your intention for the day
- Do one thing each day to support your intention no matter how small
- Give thanks for what you have and what you accomplished each day no matter how small
- Repeat
If you start by doing one thing each day, no matter how small, even though it feels uncomfortable and keep repeating it each day you will find it isn’t so uncomfortable within a week. A baby doesn’t learn to walk by stopping only after a day. No matter what it is no great success comes from the first try. Training for your first race, losing 5 pounds, leaving a bad relationship, starting college classes or asking someone on a date it is never too late.
The first step starts with you and telling yourself you can do it. A million people can tell you that you can do it but until you tell yourself it won’t happen. The next step is getting intentional with putting that oar in the water and beginning to paddle and no matter how scary and how fast that boat may get going towards your goal avoid the temptation to drag the oar in the water. Because if there is anything that slows you down, stops you, hinders your success it is you and you alone. Don’t blame anyone else for your failures. If you fail it is because you weren’t intentional about your success. Set your intention for success and you will see the results you want. Writing a book, starting a blog, painting a picture, running a 5k, losing 5 pounds, starting a business or asking someone on a date. No goal is too big or too small. You are only limited by your own intentions.
So go out there an be intentional in your life and see all the fruit your tree can grow.